The Flight
by MissCloud
Summary: I may be falling... but after all this, I really am going to fly. Maybe I'll... grow wings? Zack's POV from when he faces the soldiers leading up to his death. ONE SHOT


Hello, this is basically Zack's POV leading up to his death. And there are some quotes in here from the English version of Crisis Core too :) So I suppose SPOILERS ahead.

Ah yeah, Aeris/Aerith, either way, but I prefer Aeris :)

Anyway, I hope you like :3

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The Flight

There is no breeze, just a scent in the air that I know too well. SOLDIER- everywhere. They surround me, gun powder, fire, the will to want to fight and the determination to win.

Yet, I'm not the least bit afraid. After finally making it to first class, it's not like I'm going to back down now and let all my pride slip away. Everything I've been working for, everyone I've done it for- I can't give it all up now. It should be easy, they're all only third class. Any other normal person wouldn't stand a chance, but I know I stand a great deal of one.

Hundreds of blue-uniformed Shinra soldiers stand before me, their weapons directed at me as though death is inevitable. It'll take more than a few bullets to stop me. I'll count on that. I easily zip my Buster Sword from my back, being careful in my movements- and bring it in front of me, clinging on to it like it's my only way out. Well, I suppose it is. I love this sword. I won't let anything or anyone defeat it.

I close my eyes. I suppose, the good thing about being in SOLDIER is that my level of concentration has increased dramatically. I am no longer the wannabe hero, training hard everyday to get where I am now. The work I've endured surely must have paid off by now; and what makes my dreams even stronger is that I'm not only doing it for myself.

Cloud and Aeris are the two people in the whole world I'm doing this for. As well as my parents and all of the people SOLDIER have killed effortlessly and pointlessly, well, I'm not going to let their lives go to waste. Myself and Cloud deserve better, and those people contributed a great deal. So, I thank them for having to put up with the suffering over the years.

This will end, now.

"Embrace your dreams... and... whatever happens.." I say, slowly raising my sword. "Protect your honour." I ready myself and run my giant sword to the side, ready to throw my weight around at anything that tries to get in my way. "..AS SOLDIER!"

I suddenly inherit a great power from deep within, bringing my weapon over my head and run towards the action, my two hands now cupping the handle. My life is in my own hands, but Cloud's is also in mine. That's why this is my moment of glory- I'll be the hero I was once hoping to be. The bullets come flying towards me, but I catch their movements easily. I didn't train this hard for years for nothing, you know? Who do they think they're kidding?

I shield myself and the bullets bounce off pathetically, dancing to the ground. Taking a swing, I manage to cut off the first line of soldiers with one swipe, no sweat. Blood splatters everywhere, over the hot floor and over me. I suppose, in a way, I do feel for them. For having to be Shinra's slaves for the rest of their lives, or what they've got left.

Without hesitation, I fight on. Heaving my sword through the air and cut off more lives, moving my legs and feet quicker than their eye can see. More bullets come towards me, and this time, I feel the presence of someone behind me too. My eyes close for just a second. I take a deep breath, then faster than light, block the upcoming shells with my sword and spin around, impaling the enemy through the stomach. His mouth rides open, a defeated gasp escaping him.

To put him out of his misery I swipe him again, and this time he stops breathing. Stumbling to the floor, the other soldiers don't even wince- instead they carry on sending bullets my way, and I continue to dodge them, my speed superior to their's. I reach them in time and take more lives, grasping my sword harder for bigger hope.

I have all the hope I need. The people I'm fighting for. "I'm doing this for them!" I remind myself, jumping on top of a boulder. The soldiers below stare up at me in horror as I come sailing down, sending my sword quickly along their line.

Everything is crazy, really. Why do I need to fight? Because I escaped from the laboratory of hell, and they still want to kill me. What did I do to deserve this? What about Cloud? He's the guy I feel sorry for the most. He's in one heck of a state, and I'll never forgive them for this. "NEVER!" I cry and from somewhere I wasn't aware of until now, everything inside me breaks free and I begin to fight like a real SOLDIER. Not as a Shrina SOLDIER, but as myself.

Hastily I take out a full line of soldiers with one deadly slash, flipping over to the other side of rocks and taking more out, loud, exhausted screams seizing the air every time my sword touches one of them. There's no doubt about it I feel bad, but they chose the wrong side, I know that now. So did I. Sadly for the Shinra though, I still hold my pride for making it this far. I can't give up now. Not ever!

"Gah!" A strong, hard pain rips through my ankle, the flesh immediately giving way and separating. I stumble slightly, trying to take it all in. It's like a wound being rubbed with vinegar, so powerful, I hardly have time to think. But I pull myself together. I have to, otherwise it's over for me. I can't make any mistakes.

With great force, I heave my sword towards the gunner, killing him instantly. More blood. Staring around now, there seems to be a lot less soldiers than there was before. And, a lot more blood. It's everywhere, so much of it in fact, puddles of it are beginning to form as though it's been raining blood. The reality is, that's what some battles are like; so much death even heaven can't find room for it all.

I shake my head, the shameful pain in my ankle throbbing like a heartbeat. My heart is throbbing. For the first time since I began my charade with the soldiers, I find myself heaving for breath, my back wet from the sweat dribbling down me. Even SOLDIER members aren't invincible, but I can handle the pain. I'll continue my fight without giving up.

"You hear that!?" I scream, driving my sword through one of the enemy's chests. "I'll never give up! Never! You can count on that." The remaining but still great handful of soldiers stare at me and don't seem to think about what I'm feeling- they've been ordered to kill me, so that's what they'll do, and they won't stop until they have. I suppose that's one thing we have in common. We'll both never stop until we get what we long to achieve. I just hope mine is stronger, otherwise I fear what will become of me.

"Uh..." Panting, there's still plenty of energy left inside me, I jump over a couple more rocks to reach the shaking soldiers on the top. Their triggers are pulled and I duck down fast, hiding behind a pile of boulders. They continue to riddle the rocks with bullets, trying to hit me, trying to kill me.

There's no giving up yet. I raise up and grasp the air with my mouth, swallowing it hard, before sending my intimidating weapon through them. There was no time for them to scream, as they were already dead. This trusty sword never fails me. "Hm." I grin to myself. I'm nearly there. Not long now. I'm quickly losing my breath, blood seeping through my boots. It can be handled, but medical attention wouldn't go amiss either.

Something strikes me. Bewildering, crazy, beyond-imaginable pain runs through my chest, the density flowing straight to my confused mind- what's going on? Is this real? Why am I feeling like this? It's not real... it's not. Somehow, I manage to grip my chest with my hand, wincing at the horrendous pain at the collision. Is this really pain? It doesn't seem normal. Slowly, I become used to it. After the shock calms a little, I open my eyes, and once again I realize where I am. Buzzing, whiteness, I struggle to make out everything.

I'm terrified. My heart is thumping faster than normal. In a frenzy, I swing out my sword, and I think I hit something. Or someone... a cry throttles me and to my delight, the pieces start to pull together again, my vision coming together. Damn. For a second there I thought I was going to faint. Obviously it's the dreaded gold bullet. The Shinra bullet.

There doesn't feel like there's any of me left. Yet something tells me to keep going. To protect my honour. Protect my honour. I must.

The muscles in my arms tense greatly as I struggle to lift my sword, all for a matter of life and death. The dreaded fatigue. My spirit stays strong. The sounds of killing skirt me, not wanting to leave me; I don't want it to leave me- but not because I enjoy killing. Because it proves I'm still concious, alive. No one will ever understand, especially those in Shinra. I've never had a shell to break out of, so is victory possible? Questions flood my head as I stagger, hopelessly swinging my sword in all directions, never giving up, refusing to give in.

I won't die until I stop giving up.

"Ah!" There it goes again. The pain. The pain signalling I'm falling. "No!" I cry, this time falling to the ground. It's mad. It flashed in slow-motion, my life, before my very eyes. Aeris embraces my Mako eyes. Her pretty face, soothing me. I sing my eyes to close. They don't want to, but I want to remember. She's the one who can help me through this hell. Her long, ribboned hair sways across my path. I'm walking towards her now, she's holding out her hand for me to take. Why don't I take it? Is it because... I'm still alive?

The world is blacking out. Is it alright to feel so afraid? Voices inherit my mind. Distantly, I hear the shouts of the soldiers, but I don't know what they're saying. It doesn't matter. The clang on my sword rustles through me suddenly, leading me to deeper despair.

What seems like millions of needles at once are dumped into me repeatedly. Each one gripping me, sending sparks of something I've never felt before through me. Inevitably, my body arches up as I take it all. There's nothing I can do. I feel like I'm... diminishing. To nothing. Eventually, I will be nothing.

The next few minutes go nowhere. It's like everything has stopped in time, I can't help but concentrate on how I'm feeling. I think... everything is silent. No more gunfire. Thankfully, I probably wouldn't be able to take much more of it anyway, and if it wasn't for my highly equipped body, I'd be dead by now. But I'm not. Here I am, lying on my back, trying to take the agony as it comes to me. I doubt this even is pain, having felt so much of it now I feel immune to it.

It all seems like forever before the clouds begin to turn black. All I can do is wait it out until I go- why torture me so much more? Being unable to move, do anything, and I'm still here, breathing, stinging like acid, feeling my wounds bleed further across the ground. The sky is watching me, waiting to take me. I wish it just would already.

I hear a faint shuffling coming towards me. I don't know who it is. I'm not even sure I'm hearing right. I can't think straight. What's happening to me? Why is it beginning to hurt worse? I choke, the world falling on top of me, pain digging into my body. Everything is beginning to blur. I think.

"Uh," There's a noise close to me. Strangely, somehow.. I recognize it. I know his name. It's Cloud. "Zack...?" I blink. The blonde, live man is staring down at me, but I can barely look at him. I'm not sure I can move, I feel so stiff, so hopeless. But, I want him to know who I did it all for. Why I... risked everything for him.

"Ah..." I cry, managing to look at him at last. That one movement seems to drain me, though if there was one last thing I wanted to do before I die... make him feel okay. I need to talk to him. "F-For..." I struggle. "...the both of us." It comes out. He is staring at me contently, his glowing blue eyes looking almost puppy-dog hurt.

"Both.. of us?" Cloud repeats gently, taking everything steady for me.

"That's right," I breathe, gasping. "You're gonna... you're gonna..." I suppress the scream I so desperately want to let out, but there's no energy or time left for that. I smile at him, and manage to grab a hold of the back of his neck. He doesn't hesitate as I pull him towards my bullet-ridden chest, resting him on it. "..live. You'll be.. my living.. legacy." I say in between breaths, every single one a pain to let out. My determination is still strong, despite being one of the fallen now.

My arm collapses against the ground, proving I'm not even strong enough lift it. Cloud removes his head from my chest, now pulling back with my blood over his face. He looks like me probably, expect... he really is going to live. He has to, I'm not going to die for nothing. If I'm forgotten, then my honour will be wasted, as am I. There has to be a way that... Cloud will be able to remember me for who I was, and not just a pathetic, fallen SOLDIER. The smile I pull him leads me to slowly, in effort, lift my sword towards him.

"My honour, my dreams," Cloud holds a confused expression as I hand him the buster sword- a sword that has served me greatly. "They're yours now." He looks at me, unsure what to do. I give him a blink, which is about the best I can do, urging him to take it- it's the least he could do. He does, though hesitantly, and with a force, I push it to him so he holds onto it.

There's nothing... left for me now. The world around me isn't black any more, it's white, faces press at me, coming at me, drilling into my mind, my memories, all through Cloud, because he... he will live. I'm sure I'll see Aeris again. I'm sure of it.

"I'm..your living legacy," I only just manage to make out what Cloud says. I think... I think I'm finally being taken. The patter of the rain around me soothes, until I can no longer hear it. The pain inside me whithers away, until I can no longer feel it. I hold a smile, knowing I'm going as... a hero, or so I hope. I may be falling... but after all this, I really am going to fly. Maybe I'll... grow wings?

Sleepy, drifting, drifting... my eyes shut. And now... I can't feel anything anymore. Drifting... Flying.

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There we go! A bit depressing I know, but that's how the story goes... -sniff- I was gonna add a one line normal POV at the end, which went something like this; _Cloud stared at Zack's wielding, beautiful eyes close into sleep. And a pain worse than death grabbed him and wouldn't let go. He screamed._ But I think it ends better like that eh? Opinions would be great, so if you liked please review :)


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